A Fuss Worth Making
by HecateA
Summary: In which Andromeda learns more about her son-in-law over breakfast and a mishandled frying pan. Oneshot.


**Author's note: **Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. Please do not sue me, I can barely pay tuition.

**Hogwarts: **Assignment #2, Amulets & Talisman Task #9 - A Rabbit's Foot: Write about someone being burnt (physically, emotionally or metaphorically)

**Warnings: **NA

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**A Fuss Worth Making **

The smells of Earl Grey and raspberry green tea mingled in the flat's kitchen as breakfast preparation was underway. Andromeda was sitting at the table with her hands wrapped around the ceramic blue mug, trying not to feel awkward as she and Remus listened to the radio while he put a tray of cinnamon buns in the oven. He moved on to frying up bacon and hashbrowns and chopping fruit. Dora had come in from a late shift and was in the shower, leaving Andromeda acutely aware of how little time she'd spent alone with Dora's—well, her son-in-law.

Remus was a quiet type, so there wasn't so much pressure to talk and honestly Andromeda wouldn't even know where to start. He was always picking up stray shifts wherever they were available, so she didn't know how or if to ask about work. He read a lot, but Andromeda didn't think she could keep up with the treaties on dark magic and charm composition that she saw laying around the flat. She knew he spent the bulk of his time working for the Order of the Phoenix, but if her many fights with Dora on the subject had taught her anything it was that Order members didn't talk much about their operations and activities.

She took a sip of her Earl Grey and pulled at her fingers, still toasty warm from the cup.

She was as acutely aware that, if he'd been here, Ted would find something to say—he'd comment about a funny mug that must have a fun origin story, find the words to ask Remus where he'd learned to bake, think of his own story to tell and fill the silence with… Andromeda wasn't very good at that; sometimes she still found herself untangling the legacies of being taught to sit still and say nothing. And Remus… she didn't know Remus very much, didn't know what to make of him, didn't know what Dora saw in him and what he saw in her and what they could do for each other... It was a bad mixture creating a situation she didn't want to be in.

Dora swung into the kitchen, still-damp indigo hair clinging to her ears.

"Hey!" She greeted them with a smile and kissed Andromeda on the head. "I feel human again."

"That's nice," Andromeda replied. Her hands relaxed around her mug slightly. Dora crossed the kitchen to kiss Remus' cheek.

"I used your soap again," she confessed.

"I know." He offered her a smile which shifted the scars on the left side of his face. "I made you tea—I reckoned coffee would keep you awake too long and you might want to sleep off your shift later…"

"Thank you," she acknowledged, taking the teacup he handed her. She took a sip and hopped onto the counter before launching into a long story about how annoying one of her colleagues had been overnight.

"He sounds like a nightmare," Remus commiserated. He turned from the oven to drop one of his pans in the sink, running the water. For a few moments the kitchen was quiet, except for the sizzling bacon.

Dora hopped off the counter and put her teacup down, picking up the fork Remus had been using to flip the bacon. She got about two pieces done before lowering her arm too much and accidentally pressing her pale skin against the edge of the pan. She dropped the fork and jumped back with a hiss, and Remus spun around.

"Oh," he frowned. "Oh, Dora…"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, just—Merlin, fuck—so clumsy," Dora promised trying to dissipate their worry. "Honestly, just being stupid…"

"Don't say that about yourself," Remus chided quietly, just as he took her arm and pulled up her sweater sleeve to better peer at the angry red mark on her arm. "Let's get this under some water, okay?"

He gently steered her towards the sink and turned on the tap, checking the water with his hand to make sure it was cool not cold before gently directing Dora's arm under the flow.

"I'm fine, honestly, don't worry…" Dora said. "It doesn't hurt that much, it doesn't matter…"

"It does," Remus promised again. "Let's just cool off the skin and then we can cover it up…"

He turned back to the oven and turned the element off with a flick of his wand, which he dropped on the counter.

"You're making a fuss, babe…"

"You're worth making a fuss about." Dora snorted. "I'm being serious Dora, be gentle with yourself, take care…"

"It's just a burn."

"And so we'll just take care of it," he replied, kissing her nose. He turned off the tap and then reached into a drawer for a fresh tea towel. He dabbed at her arm to dry it off.

"First Aid kit's still in the bathroom?" he checked.

"Unless you used it since the last moon."

"Alright." He wrapped the tea towel around her arm and moved her other hand so that she held it there.

"I'll be right back," he promised. He moved the pan of bacon off the cooling element on his way out of the kitchen. Andromeda watched him turn the corner and disappear from the flat's front room.

Dora peeked at her burn before looking up, which was when she met Andromeda's eyes.

"Is he always like this?" Andromeda asked.

"Like what?" Dora asked. "Sweet, gentle, attentive, soft…"

Andromeda wasn't sure what she'd meant exactly, so she just nodded.

"Yes," Dora nodded. "He's quiet, so nobody else really sees him, but yes."

She smiled a smile that Andromeda couldn't help but think of as proud.

"I know who I married," Dora shrugged. "He's a good man in an unkind world. It's kind of nice that you get to see him too, sometimes."

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**Stacked with: **MC4A; Shipping Wars; Hogwarts

**Individual Challenge(s): **Gryffindor MC; Hufflepuff MC; Slytherin MC; Bow Before the Blacks; Seeds; Golden Times; Old Shoes; Themes & Things A (Family); Themes & Things B (Protection); Themes & Things D (Pot/Pan); Themes & Things E (Table); Themes & Things F (Growth); True Colours; Rian-Russo Inversion; In a Flash; Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon MC

**Word Count: **

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_**Shipping Wars**_

**Ship (Team): **Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks (Technicolour Moon)

**List (Prompt): **Winter Medium 2 (Ceramic Mug)


End file.
